Shoe and the like



April 30, 1946. L. T. J. DACK I SHOE AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30, 1944 4Sheets-Sheet l April'30, 1946. T J BACK 2,399,543

' SHOE ANDW THE LIKE Filed Aug. :50, 1944 4 SheetsSheet 2 Apl il 30,1946. L. T. J. :iAcK I 2,399,543

SHOE AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30., 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet s A ril 30, 1946.U, BA K 2,399,543

'- SHOE AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet'4 and one bottombar and a or bar of the heel a Plate (6. I.

Patented A r. 30, 1946 SHOE AND'THE LIKE Leo Thomas John Dack,Leicester, England Application August so, 1944, Serial No. 551,797

a In Great Britain July 26, 1943 11 Claims.

This invention concerns boots, shoes, slippers and like articles offootwear hereinafter, for convenience, referred to broadlyas shoes. Itis one object of the invention to'provide a construction of heel that,on the one hand, is resilient and is therefore comfortable to the wearerand that, on the other hand, aifords considerable scope in the designand construction of fashion shoes.

According to this invention a shoe has the heel seat supported upon atleast one spring so located beneath the heel as to be placed underbending stress by the weight of the wearer.

As viewed from another aspect the invention provides a shoe having aspring heel constituted by at least one rod-like spring extending in thegeneral direction of the length of the foot between a heel seat and apart that makes contact with the ground so as to be placed under bendingstress by the weight of the wearer.

The invention further includes a. shoe having the heel constituted by atleast one C-spring or its'equivalent and having the heel seatconstituted by or attached'to the top bar of Springs that, for thepurpose of this'invention are the equivalent of a C-spring, include all-I shaped or other forked spring placedon its side in a vertical planesoas to provideone topbar bender union between the two bars that isadapted :toflex when the weight of the'wearer or the-shoe is applied tothe top bar and the bottom bar rests, directly or indirectly, on theground, an s-spring, and a ring-like or oval spring. The re lience, andthe scope in fashion designin afforded by such a heel will readily. "beappreciated by those concerned Preferably, but not necessarily, thelower part spring" or p ings is attached to of metal) or otherconnection that extends forward therefrom to the ball of the footisthere flexibly connected to a member of the shoe sole. In the case ofa single spring,

the heel-seat may be constituted by the broad upper bar of the spring ifthe latter is of sheet material, or may be constituted by a platformattached to the Upper bar. Preferably, however, the'heel is constitutedby two springs, one at each side, and the heel seat is constituted by aplatform extending across between the tops of the springs. a

i The foregoing and other features of the invention at out in theappended claims are incorporatedin the constructions now to be describedas examples, with reference to the accompanyinl drawings, in whichthespring.-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one shoe and Figure 2 is asideeelvation illustrating certain details thereof; V

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another shoe and Figure 4 is aperspective view of the spring heel thereof; i

Figures 5 and 6 are views corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4 of another shoeand heel;

Figures 7 and 8 corresponding views of a still further shoe and heel; 7

Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views of further shoes. 1 T

In one construction according to this invention Figs. 1' and 2, the openheel comprises two C-springs l located in parallel vertical planes,

havingesubstantially straight and substantially lb respectively, asingle curved position joining the two bars of each spring.

These springs are of metal (preferably tubular) such for example asstainless steel or chromium plated metal. Between the bottom bars lb,the

rear end of a metal plate 2 is secured; this plate extends forwards andat its front end is hinged or otherwise flexibly connected in the region3 of the, ball of the foot to the-rear edge of the shoe sole 4. Toeffectthis'connection, the sole and plate may be formed withintermeshing rebates and riveted together. A leather or equivalent toppiecei is fixed to said plate 2 beneath the heel. preferably by means ofa readily-releasable fastening or clip that permits of the rapidreplacement of a worn top piece.

The heel seat comprises a platform 6 that extends across between the topbars I a of the two springs.- This platform is attached to the sides ofthe heel or counter I and is suitably reinstep, up from the ball of thefoot to the heel seat and the sides of the upper may be severely cu awayin the region of the as at ll.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the fact that the complete spring heel can beaffixed to an ordinary welded (stuck-on), machine-sewm-or welted solethrough the medium-of the top plateor platform [2, (the equivalent ofplate I, Fig. 1) and fixing screws [4. The plate I2 is fixed to theC-spring 13, the shape of which differs from N -a os that of spring 1.Fig. 5 shows a shoe (e. g. a man's shoe) having a sole l5 of normalconstruction attached to the C-spring I5 by a plate 12, Fig. 6, but asillustrated in Fig. 9, the sole member may be attached. to the top barsof the spring by loops 8.

The heel shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is comparatively low, the top and bottombars being close together.

The to bars of the C-spring and/or the metal or other heel seat platformthat spans said bars may extend forward beneath the instep to the ballof the foot. This is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, which show theapplication of the invention to a high-heel model, wherein the spring Hhas forwardly and downwardly-curving top bars Ila, spanned by a plate I8provided with attachment means [4 for the sole.

A wedge heel effect may be achieved as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. Inthe former, the top platform 20 extends down beneath the instep andconverges toand joins a bottom platform 2| fixed to the bottom bars ofspring l9, and extending forwards therefrom. In the modification shownin Fig. 10, the sole 22 is split at the rear, as far forward as theball, into upper and lower layers 22a, 22b. The upper layer 22a rests onand is secured to plate 20, and the lower layers 22b underlies and issecured to plate 2|,

-It will be appreciated that in all of the foregoing constructions thesprings extend in the general direction of the length of the foot and atleast the bends or elbows thereof are placed under bending stress by theweight of the wearer.

I claim:

1. A shoe or similar article, having an upper, a heel seat, and an openspring heel consisting of a pair of exposed rod-like C-springs extendingin the general direction of the length of the foot beneath the seat, forsupporting the latter and the weight of the wearer so as to be placedunder bending stress by said weight. g

2. A shoe or similar article, having an upper, an open spring heelcomprising a pair of bent rod-like-springs whereof each has an upper anda lower bar extending in the general direction of the length of' thefoot and a curved portion joining said upper and lower bars, and a heelseat platform extending across between and attached to said two upperbars.

3. A shoe or similar article, having an upper, an open spring heelcomprising a pair of bent rod-like springs whereof each has an upper anda lower bar extending in the general direction of the length of the footand a curved portion joining said upper and lower bars, and a heel seatconstituted by a platform extending across between the two top bars andhaving side tunnels in which they are received.

4. A shoe or the like according to claim 2, incorporating a sole memberextending forward from the two lower bars to the region of the ball ofthe foot.

5. A shoe or similar article having an upper, and an open spring heelcomprising a pair oif'rodlike springs spaced side-by-side and extendingin the general direction of the length of the foot.

6. A shoe or similar article, having an'i pper, and an open spring heelcomprising a pair of "rodlike springs located side by side and eachincluding a top bar that curves forward and downwards beneath the instepto the ball of the foot.

7. In a shoe or similar article an open spring heel consisting of tworod-like spring members located side by side and each having a top barand a bottom bar connected thereto'by an integral flexible portion, saidtop and bottom bars extending in the general direction of the length ofthe foot, and a heel seat attached to the two top bars. 1

8. A shoe or similar article comprising a sole,

an upper lasted thereto, an open spring heel consisting ofa plurality ofcurved springs spaced apart across the width of the shoe and eachineluding a top bar extending in the general direction of the length ofthe shoe, and means attaching the sole to the top bars.

9. A shoe or similar article according to claim 2, having in combinationa sole member, a metal plate secured to the two bottom bars andextending forward to the region of the ball of the foot,

and means flexibly connecting the plate to the sole member at saidregion.

1.0. A shoe or similar article, comprising an upper, an open spring heelattached thereto and comprising a plurality of rod-like springs locatedside by side and each comprising top'and bottom bars extending in thegeneral direction of the length of the foot and a bend joining them, atop extending forward to join the top platform.

11. In a shoe or similar article according to claim 10, a sole membersplit at the rear into upper and lower layers whereof the upper layerrests on the top platform and the lower layer underlies the bottomplatform.

LEO THOMAS JOHN DACK.

